Arson in the 1st Degree is best described as:

• A. A misdemeanor (class b) for starting a fire.
• B. A felony (class a) for intentionally starting a fire or explosion in an inhabited or occupied building.
• C. A felony (class b) for starting a fire in another building.
• D. A misdemeanor (class a) for reckless destruction by fire.

Answer: (B)

Arson in the first degree is defined by intentional action and the target being a place where people live or are occupying the space. Specifically, it involves intentionally starting a fire or causing an explosion in an inhabited or occupied building. Because this combines purposeful wrongdoing with the danger to people, it is charged as a felony—the highest level of arson in many jurisdictions (class A).

This helps distinguish it from other possibilities that treat arson as a misdemeanor, or as a reckless act, or that limit it to fires in non-occupied buildings. The key elements here are intentional starts and the structure being inhabited or occupied, which together justify the most severe, felony-level charge.